A comparative study of coyote food habits on two utah deer herds

Authors

Jordan C. Pederson, Utah Wildlife Resources, Springville, Utah
R. Cary Tuckfield, Brigham Young University

Abstract

Coyote (Canis latrans) scats from two southern Utah deer herd units were collected and analyzed to establish diet selection. The category showing the most consistent frequency of occurrence was mule deer Odocoileus hemionus; lagomorphs were next. Formal statistical analysis revealed that the only significant difference in coyote food habits between herd units was in the frequency of rabbits eaten. These data suggest that coyotes in this region of southern Utah show a comparatively higher preference for mule deer but, at the same time, do not eat deer in proportion to the frequency of their occurrence.

Recommended Citation

Pederson, Jordan C. and Tuckfield, R. Cary (1983) "A comparative study of coyote food habits on two utah deer herds," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 43: No. 3, Article 9.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol43/iss3/9